Any one who has witnessed the gathering of Israel in these latter-days must be in awe at the majesty of the miracle.
"... the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him."
On the grand scale, it is an awesome thing to witness the expansive growth of the Kingdom in these latter-days. I myself served a mission in the Philippines. Upon my arrival there in 1969 there were approximately 2000 members of the church in that land. When I left in 1971 that number had grown to 8000! In the intervening years one mission has grown to 15 and the population of the church in that one country exceeds half a million. That is truly a miracle! There is strength and visibility in numbers. Numbers means access for more and more people to come in contact with the church. This chapter surely speaks of that collective gathering of Israel.
More precious, to me though, is that while Israel is spoken of here as a group, it is also quite literally a collection of individuals. The miracle of recovery happens one person at a time, one life at a time. The majesty of the gathering lies, not nearly so much in the numbers, as it does in the transformation of individual people as the mighty Atonement transforms their lives.
2 comments:
I think about your mission now and then when I see the Philippines in the News. I am glad that you shared your mission with us; it meant a lot to me as a youth.
Your conclusion is stated so well and speaks to my heart.
Having a particular fondness for Isaiah, these chapters are dear to me. As one who works as a counselor, they offer perspective and hope for each heart that beats on this earth,in any time, for any length of time.
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